“This is not a project offer. This is an offer to be included in the selection process to become a team member for this specific client”.

Some of you might have received an email like this before. Would you agree to make a test in this case? I'm just curious because I keep receiving these emails (I mean dozens of them, all from the same agency) and sometimes I doubt if there is a real selection process going on. How can one be sure?

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Hi, I have received the "similar" messages like you received many times.
At the beginning, things did work. I took the test, I got the assignment- rush job, and the price compared with the quantity and allowed time, was a little bit low.
I had to negoiate the price.

Then later, I took more tests, received some congratulations: "you've been selected, the PM will contact you." Then no further information. I tried to contact the PM, never got a reply. Meanwhile, occasionally received some minor jobs. Payment went smoothly.

Then later, two project payments are overdue. I tried to contact them, first they said they did not receive my invoice, then they said they will talk to the language department and get back to me, then totally lost contact...Now I am trying to figure out what happened...

A test might bring you to a new opportunity, yet it can end with some mystery.

[Edited at 2008-10-03 03:41]

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I can remember the agency using those wordings to approach translators.
Their process is not transparent. I mostly ignored the requests. Those were waste of time [Why not use a more friendly approach to a human translator?]

Regards,
SL

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I think we're talking about the same company, are they based in the US? I occasionally do translation tests for this agency, always after negotiating rates first, and have been working for them on a regular basis for the past two years. Never had any problems getting paid (this in reply to Freelance522's comment).

Best regards,
Frederieke

Elisabete Cunha wrote:

“This is not a project offer. This is an offer to be included in the selection process to become a team member for this specific client”.

Some of you might have received an email like this before. Would you agree to make a test in this case? I'm just curious because I keep receiving these emails (I mean dozens of them, all from the same agency) and sometimes I doubt if there is a real selection process going on. How can one be sure?

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I occasionally do translation tests for this agency, always after negotiating rates first, and have been working for them on a regular basis for the past two years. Never had any problems getting paid (this in reply to Freelance522's comment).

Best regards,
Frederieke

To Frederieke:
Yes, before this payment overdue incident, their payment record was excellent. That's why even if I think their selection routine is somehow annoying, I still kept working with them. And even though the payment was one week overdue, I wrote a reminder to ask and they didn't aplogize for being overdue, instead raised some doubt about my invoice without explanation. I was still waiting for another week, but did not go to the blueboard to give a negative comment.

But guess what, I just got their payment notification. Although I still don't know what happened --- they just did not tell me why the payment was overdue.
Maybe this forum works.

To Elisabete:
Will things work or not, no one will know unless you try it.
Some translators have a very nice and positive collaborative relationship with this agency, some don't. Some seem to give the agency postive comment but have some reservations. I believe those translators commented according to what they experienced and all information is ture.

Maybe you will have a very good collaboration with this agency, like Frederieke has. If some unexpected things happen, don't be too shocked.

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In my case, I have done several tests but until now I haven't been selected.
All the tests were long - 400-700 words.
Of course I only do them when I really have nothing else to do, otherwise I just ignore it.

To Frederieke:
Yes, this is a US based company. I'm glad your experience was good. Thanks for sharing it.

To freelance522:
Yes, but I've tried so many times, that's why I really don't think this will work, at least not for me. I just don't know if it is worth keep trying...

To Soonthon:
Yes, I do share your point of view on this. I prefer clients who approach translators directly. They make a selection and they contact the person they have chosen, I believe this is the best attitude.

To Nilton:
I did try, again and again, but after many tests I never received any work. And all the tests were so long that it suddenly occured to me: what if nobody gets selected and this is some sort of scam...

[Edited at 2008-10-04 03:53]

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